Cutaneous lymphomas in Germany: an analysis of the Central Cutaneous Lymphoma Registry of the German Society of Dermatology (DDG).

Background: Primary cutaneous lymphomas form a heterogeneous group of lymphatic neoplasias. They manifest themselves on the skin and are the second most frequent group of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) following gastrointestinal lymphomas. The number of epidemiologic studies is small due to limited availability and limited comparability on population-based data.

Topical imiquimod as treatment for different kinds of cutaneous lymphoma.

Imiquimod as a topical immune response modifier leads to a localized production of interferon and other cytokines. Apart from its use for genital warts it has therefore been used as treatment for different cutaneous neoplasms, including a few cases of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. We treated 8 patients (4 with mycosis fungoides, 1 with CD30+ anaplastic large cell lymphoma and 3 with primary cutaneous B-cell lymphoma) with topical imiquimod.

[The new German educational law for medical schools: the Hamburg concept in dermatology and venereology].

Medical school graduates are required to deal with complex situations in their future work which require profound theoretical knowledge as well as many practical skills. The University of Hamburg used a new educational law (AappO 2002) as catalyst to define learning objectives relevant for practice and to guarantee a close connection between theory and practice. A newly founded curriculum committee with twelve members developed a strategy and structure for the new clinical curriculum (KliniCuM) in weekly sessions.

Polysorbate 80 in medical products and nonimmunologic anaphylactoid reactions.

Background: Polyoxyethylene-sorbitan-20-monooleate (also known as polysorbate 80 and Tween 80) is a solubilizing agent ubiquitously used in nutritives, creams, ointments, lotions, and multiple medical preparations (e.g., vitamin oils, vaccines, and anticancer agents) and as an additive in tablets.

Topical photodynamic therapy for patients with therapy-resistant lesions of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma.

Photodynamic therapy after topical application of 5-aminolevulinic acid is an effective therapy for nonmelanoma epithelial skin cancers. It has also been used for some cases of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. We treated 4 patients with different cutaneous T-cell lymphomas with photodynamic therapy.

Localized cutaneous small to medium-sized pleomorphic T-cell lymphoma: a report of 3 cases stable for years.

Small to medium-sized pleomorphic cutaneous T-cell lymphomas represent a provisional entity in the new European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer classification. We describe 3 patients with a localized and outstanding stable variant of this tumor. A median follow-up period of 50 months did not reveal any spread into regional lymph nodes or to distant sites in any patient.

Bilateral temporal arteritis.

Temporal arteritis is a giant cell arteritis that affects large- or medium-sized elastic arteries. Often, only 1 temporal artery is affected. We describe a patient with both temporal arteries being involved simultaneously.